Portable electric light eqr connec



June 20, 1950 M. ALDEN PORTABLE ELECTRIC 'LIGHT FOR 'commc'nou WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 19, 1949 a a. v, 5. W ma i m m N Mm 4W. M

June 20, 1950 M. ALDEN 2,511,893

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT FOR CONNECTION WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE Filed Feb. 19, 1949 ZSheets-Sheet 2 mm; Hm

' IN VEN TOR. M/A ro/v A1 5v TTO/Q/Vfy Patented June 20, 1950 lPQRTABLE L TR m rroa ommas- TION WIT-11A MOTOR VEHICLE Milton Alden, Brockton Mass. Applica i Februa 19, .99 S a N l-11 1 12 Claims. (Cl.11 '77-32 9j) My invention relates particularly to combination illuminating and signal lights suitable especially in connection with motor vehicles.

At night serious accidents frequently occur when a car is disabled and is parked by the side of the road for repairs or waiting for help. Traffic, from the rear especially, crashes into the car or into some one standing or working alongside the car. This may be due'to lack of a tail light or from inattention or to fog or because the driver is blinded by approaching head lights.

I have accordingly provided a signal light with an extension cord adapted to be plugged into a cigar lighter socket on the car. Such a light is portable and adapted to, be set on the ground or on the rear of the car where it will be seen by the driver approaching from the rear. This light preferably has a blinker as added precaution and also has a lamp for illuminating the car and roadway. Such a device is also adapted for aid in reading in the car or illuminating the motor.

The lamps are preferably mounted .on a reflector and enclosed in a translucent .red dome-like cover, but the cover may be of clear glass or plastic and depend upon a red bulb for signal purposes. The cover may be provided with prismatic elements at the front for directing the rays of the illuminating lamp bulb, at any desired angle. The cover may be formed as a lens. For greater convenience, the conductor cord may be carried by a reel and the cover hinged to. the reel so that it can be folded up for storage and opened out for better directing the rays from the lamp bulbs.

Fig. '1 is a side view and partial section of the device, the cover being shown open for use and in dotted out lines closed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame.

Fig. 3 is a side view and section of the cover and attached parts on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear view showing the hinge detail.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the reflector and attached lamp sockets.

Fig. 6 is a front view. of the reflector withthe lamp'socket for the illuminating lamp.

Fig. 7 is a rear view 'of the. reflector .with the socket for the signal lamp and the blinker switch.

Fig. 8 is a diagram of the electric circuits.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional viewof the cover taken on the plane of the line 8-9 of Fig. 1 showthe prismatic ribs.

Fig. 10 is a rear view 'of the cover showing parts in section.

Fig. 11 is a rear view or the cover showing a m fi i n f, the pr smatic. r b

. 2 with a signal lamp placed to, cover the left rear wheel to, deflect a year approaching from the rear.

Fig. 13 is a similar View with two lamps connectedin series, one at the front left and the other at the rear right.

Fig. 14 shows two lamps at the rear of a car, one at each side.

Fig. 15 shows a car with one lamp at the right front and the other at the left rear.

In the form as shown there is a base ID in the form of a cup, a plate ll rotatably mounted on the base and constituting a cap for a reel for the cord [2. The plate II has a depending hollow hub 13 which is supported on the bearing post id and secured by a screw Ill.

The cover I6 is hinged at "to the plate II by the-pins orscrews l8 and 18 which pass through the lugs 20 and 2| of the cover into the. lug .22 of'the plate H.

The parts l0, II and I6 are preferably formed of a suitable moldable plastic material.

The cover I5 is transparent or translucent and preferably of a red or ruby color and shaped like a refracted lens at its closed face and open at its other face so that it may be folded tothe closed position as shown by the dotted outline inFig. 1 when not in use.

, The lamp bulbs 25. and 26 are. removably mounted in suitable sockets 21 and 28, respectively, which are carried by a reflecting partition disc 29 in the cover. This disc is preferably of sheet metal and has keyhole slots 30 to enable it to be detachably mounted against the shoulder 29' on pins 3| which are embedded in the shoulder of the inner side walls of the cover. The re.- siliency of an embossed shoulder in disc 29/ is sufiicient to hold the disc in place.

These sockets which constitute the outer contacts for the sleeves of theibl11bs25 and 2.6 may be secured in any suitable manner to the supporting disc 29 for instance by welding socket 21 to the disc at one face and by securing socket 28 to a tongue 32. Each socket .of course has an inner or center cQntact such as 33,134 for the center lamp contacts.

F 2 i a'di sr mmatisan an. sharing a c r he pp ar ths i c #2 ha a curved fim' qs e pa a o p sit he ax s att r filament f th lamrhuw. 25; w shp efs ably as .o snings such as 3.6 ands? to allow f r pa ag of l ght above he s allamp 10 .11.1 .26.- .Qu f t e op nin 31 ma e.-

-the. ter m? a arr w in ati the direction for the .,appruacl1ing dr r r tak orde to a s. sa ely by the parked vehic ehe smal er lamp-hu a is. pre erably P -Q such a socket to hold the plug more securely in the socket.

In order to conductively connect the cord I 2 to the lamp sockets in such a manner as to permit the convenient mounting and-'demounting of the lamps, I have provided washer-like tab elements which are mounted on the hinge pins l8 and I9. Ifhe lower ends of the tab elements 45 and are bent overbeneathjplate fl 1' (see Fig. .1) and attached'to the two wires of cord l2. Elements and 48 extend up into the cover l6. Tab, element 48 isconn ected b'y' wire,49" to the reflector disc 29. Tab element 4l'is connected' by wire 5 lto the center contact 33 for"la'mpflbulb' 25 which has socket 21 and'is connected by wire'50 to the blinker switch 39 which in turn is connected by wire 52 to the centercontact 34 fo'r'socket 28 and lamp bulb 26. a

Tab 4'! is held in frictional contact with tab 45 and turns'with thecover on the hinge pins I9 and 20. Similarly tab 48 is in frictional contact'with tab 46 and turns with the coverg The frictional connections in the hinge serve to holdthfi cover at any desired angle.

The main illuminating lamp bulb 25'may be easily removed for replacement in a' conventional manner. I

To obtain access to the signalglamp-bulb 26, it is only 'necessary to loosen the reflector 'disc 29 and tilt'it outwardly fronithe cover. ",1:

I also provide two contacts 55 and 5Bfo'nthe plate H which are'connected' to -theterminals 45 and 46 beneath the plate. These contacts may be designed and arranged to receivea plug, such as plug 40, on an extension'cord for supply ing current to or irom anotheri'source or forextending current to" another device such asherein set forth. 1. 'The contact memberfifi is-located; and shaped so as to be engaged'by' the endo'f bulb 25 when the cover is closed and then hold the cover resiliently in the closed position ready to be stowed away in a convenient place, when the cord ,has been wound on the reel. The contactf55simi larly may engage the inner wall'of the cover to holditclosedpj "To use the device, itis merely n'ecessary'to draw out thecord, open 'the cover to get the def vice in position for whatever use maybe intended such as for a danger signal or for'reading or for examining some part of the motor or the area surrounding thefmot'or. I

The diagrammatic view of Fig, 8 show'sflo nej form of the circuits of thedevi'ce.

Figs. 9 and show ribs 60 arranged around the rim of the cover to increase the radiation of light and serve as a hand gripping area for turning the cover in order to wind in the cord.

Inside of the side walls are other ribs GI and 62 to increase the radiation. On the inside of the dome are other prismatic ribs 63 and 64. These ribs may be arranged in various ways to produce an irregular radiation pattern directing the light at an angle for maximum visibility by 4 an approaching car. A clear space in rear of the lamp leaves a clear view of the directional arrow 31. The prisms 63 and 64 produce a special area of U-shape light. There is always light from the lamp 25 which is alternately augmented by the blinker lamp. Alternate arrangementsof the prismatic elements are?v shown in "Fig. 11. For instance, Fresnel lens 61 and 68 and 69 may be arranged in the dome to produce intensive beams of light. The diagrams of Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, show some of the ways in which the invention may be used as a safety device on the road.

The uses and advantages of the device will be obvious from the foregoing specification.

' It should be understood that modifications and changes in details might be made without departin from the principle or scope of the invention 1 1. A] safety'light comprising a'base receptacle having a cap rotatably, mounted on said base receptacle,' a translucent cover carried by the cap, a lamp socket mounted in said cover and reel for a flexible. electric conductor cord carried by said capin said receptacle and a cord on said reel connected to said lamp socket.

2. In a safety light, a translucent cover open at one'side, a, supporting reflector mounted in said cover, an electric illuminating lamp supported bysaid reflector at the open side of said cover'and a blinking signal lamp carried at the opposite side of said reflector, saidreflector having an ope'nin'g'to'permit light from the first lamp to shine through said reflector and a base for supporting said cover. I

3. A base receptacle, a cap having a, reel rotatable in the base receptacle, a dome-shaped translucent cover hinged to the cap, a lamp socket mounted in said cover, circuit terminals mounted on the lower "face of said cap connected to said lamp socket and terminals mounted on the upper face of said cap and connected to said socket, said cover vfitting said cap and enclosing the upper terminals when closed.

4. A base receptacle, cap having a reel rotatable in the base receptacle, a dome-shaped translucent coverhinged to the cap, lamp sockets mountedin said cover with a reflector between said sockets, circuit terminals mounted on the lower face of said cap connected to said lamp sockets and plug contacts mounted on the upper face of said cap and connected to said sockets, said cover fitting said cap and enclosing the upper terminals when closed. I

5. A safety lightcomprisin'g'a base receptacle, a reel member mounted on said'receptacle and having, circuit terminals for a cord on said reel member on the'inner face -of said reel member and plug receiving contacts mounted on the outer face of'said'reel member in parallel with the cord terminals, a translucent cover hinged to said reel membenalamp bulb socket mounted in said cover and connections from said cord terminals and fromlsaid plug contacts to'saidflamp bulb socket.

6. A safety light comprising a base receptacle, a reel'memb'er' mounted) on said receptacle and having circuit terminalsforg,v cord on said reel member on the inner facel'of'said reel member and plug receiving contactsmounteqpn th'e'outer face, of said reelmember in parallel with the cord terminaIsQa translucent cover hinged to said reel member a supporting reflector in said cover, alamp"bi1lb""sockt' m'ourit'e'don each face o f said 7. A safety light comprising a base having circuit terminals, a dome-shaped translucent cover hinged to the base, a metallic support detachably mounted in the cover, a lamp socket mounted on said support, a conductive member mounted in the hinge joint and connected between a circuit terminal and said support for said socket.

8. As an article of manufacture for insertion in the cover of a safety light, a supporting disc having an opening, a lamp bulb mounted on one face of said disc where light from it can shine at the front face of the disc and also through said opening, a second lamp bulb mounted on the opposite face of said disc and a blinker switch carried by said disc for flashing the light from the second lamp bulb at the rear of said disc.

9. An auto signal light comprising a base, a cap and reel mounted to rotate on the base, a translucent cover hinged to said cap, a lamp bulb mounted in the cover and movable therewith and auxiliary contacts carried by said cap, one of which contacts is resilient and serves to engage said lamp bulb to hold the cover in the closed position.

10. A safety light comprising a translucent dome having a cylindrical body with a lens at its end, a reflector in the dome having an illuminating lamp at its front face and a signal lamp at its rear face, said reflector having an opening to permit a portion of the light from the illuminating lamp to shine through to the rear and supplement the light from the signal lamp, the lens portion of the dome having parallel difiusing ribs at opposite sides of its central portion. I

11. A safety light comprising a hollow supporting member, a reflector plate removably mounted in said hollow member, a socket for an illuminating lamp mounted at the front face of said reflector so that light can be reflected forwardly for illuminating the place where work is to be done and a socket for a blinking light mounted at the rear face of the reflector, said reflector having an opening in line with the front lamp so that light from the illuminating lamp will shine through the opening and provide continuous light at the rear supplementing the intermittent blinking light.

12. A safety light comprising a supporting member having circuit terminals, a, dome shaped translucent cover, electric-conductive hinges connecting said cover to said supporting member, a reflector disc mounted in said cover, a lamp socket carried by said disc at one face thereof for carrying a main lamp for illuminating the area of work to be done, a lamp socket mounted on the opposite face of said disc for carrying a signal lamp, a blinker switch carried by said disc for turning on and off the circuit of the signal lamp independently of the main lamp, and circuit connections from said terminals to said sockets and switch including said hinges.

MILTON ALDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,330,974 Bauman et al. Feb. '7, 1920 1,656,648 Ritz Woller Jan. 17, 1928 2,053,591 Wiley Sept. 8, 1936 2,224,742 Muldoon Dec. 10, 1940 2,408,568 McClure Oct. 1, 1946 

